As most of you know, the term "calling shotgun" refers to the act of claiming the coveted passenger seat position when riding in a car. The history of calling shotgun isn't quite clear, but rumor has it that this practice dates back to the pioneer days when covered wagon drivers required a right-hand man armed with a shotgun to guard him, passengers, and contents of the wagon while the driver handles the reins. Calling shotgun has evolved over time, obviously, and continues to hold some significance with auto passengers everywhere.
The rules of shotgun are simple:
A)You must clearly call "Shotgun!" loud enough for other passengers to hear you.
B)You must be outside when calling shotgun, or at least have the vehicle in sight.
C)You must be fully clad, including shoes on when calling shotgun.
D)If you re-enter a building after calling shotgun, your rights are void and shotgun is up for grabs.
E)Rock Paper Scissors is an alternate method of settling shotgun discrepancies should they ever occur.
With that basic protocol outlined, I am brought to examine this: today I was accused of being a shotgun cheater. During a mid-day outing, I called shotgun while walking to our transport vehicle and later called shotgun while exiting our lunch venue with the vehicle in sight. One of my cohorts short-sprinted out the door and called shotgun, but arguably I claimed that I called shotgun first based on Rule B. Furthermore, our clan has always followed the unspoken rule that seating arrangements are consistent for the round trip. He disagreed, along with two other individuals. With that being said, why did the rules change when I became the victor? I'll tell you why: some people are just haters. Therefore, having the rules up in writing might help settle any conflicts, and perhaps squash any bad feelings. For the record though, I still won shotgun.
Score: 408down, 1; Haters, 0.
The rules of shotgun are simple:
A)You must clearly call "Shotgun!" loud enough for other passengers to hear you.
B)You must be outside when calling shotgun, or at least have the vehicle in sight.
C)You must be fully clad, including shoes on when calling shotgun.
D)If you re-enter a building after calling shotgun, your rights are void and shotgun is up for grabs.
E)Rock Paper Scissors is an alternate method of settling shotgun discrepancies should they ever occur.
With that basic protocol outlined, I am brought to examine this: today I was accused of being a shotgun cheater. During a mid-day outing, I called shotgun while walking to our transport vehicle and later called shotgun while exiting our lunch venue with the vehicle in sight. One of my cohorts short-sprinted out the door and called shotgun, but arguably I claimed that I called shotgun first based on Rule B. Furthermore, our clan has always followed the unspoken rule that seating arrangements are consistent for the round trip. He disagreed, along with two other individuals. With that being said, why did the rules change when I became the victor? I'll tell you why: some people are just haters. Therefore, having the rules up in writing might help settle any conflicts, and perhaps squash any bad feelings. For the record though, I still won shotgun.
Score: 408down, 1; Haters, 0.
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